SUNDAY ARVO AT THE TUMBY PUB . . . . ABOUT 2.00 P.M, A WHOLE MESS OF BIKES ABOUT, MOSTLY UNINSPIRING, VERY MUCH LIKE THEIR RIDERS . . . . ALL NEATLY TURNED OUT AND SMELLING OF NEW LEATHER AND BEIGE . . . . THEN, JUST AS I'M ABOUT TO HIT THE FROG AND TOAD, UP COMES TONY AND DAVE . . . . THEY'RE THE LOCAL BIKE NUTTERS, SURE THEY BOTH OWN FULL SIZE RIDES, BUT THEIR SHARED PASSION IS SMALL CLASSIC BIKES AND SQUATTERS.

IF I HAD MY CHOICE OF ANY BIKE PRESENT IN THE FORECOURT OF THE TUMBULGUM PUB TODAY IT WOULDA BEEN DAVE'S 1972 GARELLI, 50cc STREET SCRAMBLER, WITH 595 GENUINE KLMS ON THE ODOMETER IT WAS PERFECT, ADMITTEDLY COVERED IN SURFACE RUST AND THIRTY YEARS WORTH OF GRIMY PATINA AND POWDERY ALLOY OXIDATION FROM SITTING IDLE IN A SHED FOR ALL THAT TIME, BUT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE, RIGHT DOWN TO THE TWIN REAR SPROCKET, ONE FOR OFF ROAD AND THE OTHER FOR THE STREET . . . . RE-BADGED AS A BOMBARDIER BY CAN-AM WHO IMPORTED THEM INTO NORTH AMERICA FROM THE LATE SIXTIES, THIS LITTLE JIGGER IS RARE LIKE TITS ON A BULL, THE CUTE LITTLE TWO STROKE SOUNDED TIGHT AS DRUM, DEVOID OF TINNY RATTLES AND VIBRATION, NO CLOUDS OF BLUE SMOKE SPEWING FROM THE EXHAUST, JUST A CRACKING WEE BIKE FROM THE DIM, DISTANT PAST . . . . GOTTA LOVE IT.

TONY'S 200cc VESPA IS A DECIDEDLY MODERNE 2007 OFFERING, BETWEEN THESE TWO FREAKS THEY OWN ALMOST THIRTY SCOOTERS, VESPA, LAMBRETTA, PIAGGIO AND MORE, AND AS IF BY DIVINE ORDINATION, TONY'S A POM. AS HAS BEEN WELL NOTED, FOREVER TWO WHEELS, NO MATTER WHAT DIAMETER . . . . THE TAMLA-MOTOWN STICKER WAS A GROOVY TOUCH, GIVEN 'MOD' CONNECTIONS TO SQUATTER CULTURE AND THE FACT IT'S JUNIOR WALKER'S VERSION OF THE HOLLAND/DOZIER/HOLLAND CLASSIC 'ROAD RUNNER', A POINT SURELY NOT LOST ON MR TIMMY LOVELESS.